karin@karinsmyth.com

A vacancy has arisen for a Senior Communications Officer in Karin’s team.

Based in Bristol for 15 hours (2 days) per week, communicating with all media, managing the website, using social media and researching local, regional and national issues to support Karin’s work. The role entails analysing, evaluating and interpreting data to ensure the MP is accurately informed on key issues and is aware of trends, providing briefings for the MP and responding to routine correspondence and enquiries from constituents, the media, lobbyists and pressure groups.

Commenting on a Home Office statement today (10 October) confirming a government review of the regulation of air weapons Karin Smyth MP (Bristol South), who called the debate that led to the announcement, said:

“This review is an important step forward and provides an opportunity to improve the safety and security of these weapons so we avoid further tragedies of the type that devastated the Studley family.

“It is important that all those who want to see changes – to protect people and animals – voice their views because this is the start of a process, not the end. The hard work begins now.”

Ministers are to review regulations governing the safety of air weapons after a Bristol MP called a Parliamentary debate on the issue following the shooting of a toddler in Hartcliffe last summer.

Pointing out that the incident, which saw 18 month-old Harry Studley shot in the head and critically injured, was sadly not an isolated incident, Karin Smyth (Bristol South) told the Commons: “Too many lives have been unnecessarily lost and too many serious injuries have been inflicted upon innocent civilians. Sadly, a large proportion of these victims are children and young people. We cannot ignore the issue and we need to do something about it.”

Watch the debate in full at the foot of this page

Responding for the government, Home Office Minister Nick Hurd told the Labour MP of his “intention to review the regulation of air weapons in England and Wales.” He said: “I think that this is an appropriate time to take stock of the regulatory position and assess whether the current controls, which are already strong, continue to be appropriate and effective.”

Karin Smyth highlighted recent law changes in Scotland: “Following a series of tragic incidents involving air weapons, the Scottish Government acted to address the problem. Under the Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2015, it has been an offence since the start of this year to use, possess, purchase or acquire an air weapon without holding an air weapon certificate.

“It is a condition of that licence that weapons are securely stored in order that access and possession cannot be gained by a person who is not authorised.”

Criminal convictions north of the border must be disclosed as part of the license application process, and the police there must be satisfied that the applicant can possess an air weapon “without danger to the public safety or to the peace” before issuing an air weapon certificate.

Karin Smyth pointed out: “In the run-up to the change in the law, 20,000 air weapons were surrendered to the authorities in Scotland and destroyed—20,000 fewer potentially lethal weapons were on the streets, and I think the House will agree that that makes Scotland safer.

“Most of the law in England and Wales on air weapons dates from the 1960s and it is time properly to re-examine the legislation to see whether it is fit for the 21st century. When an issue has such a devastating effect on the lives of families with such regularity, I would expect the Government to be considering such action already.

“At the very least I would expect a detailed consideration of licensing in the light of the change to the law in Scotland; of whether the fitting of trigger locks should be mandatory for all new air weapons sold; and of whether the reasonable precautions requirement on all airgun owners for the safe storage of air weapons and ammunition is adequate.

“I want children and young people in my constituency to be protected from future tragedies like those that have been all too common in recent years.

“Surely Bristol South’s children deserve the same protection as children living in Scotland.”

Nick Hurd said: “I intend to look carefully at the existing controls on air weapons, including how best to ensure that such weapons are stored safely and securely, so that they do not get into the hands of children. The hon. Member for Bristol South suggested that features such as trigger locks should be used, or that air weapons should be required to be stored in a locked cabinet. Those issues need to be looked at in some detail.

“As the hon. Lady rightly pointed out, the recent decision by the Scottish Government to introduce a licensing regime for lower-powered air weapons has quite rightly led to a renewed focus on the regulatory position in England and Wales.”

He also outlined a series of measures aimed at improving guidance for owners of air weapons to help secure and handle them safely.

Young people, parents and carers are being asked by Karin Smyth MP to help shape future apprenticeship provision across south Bristol by sharing their experiences and ideas.

Speaking at Labour Party Conference the Bristol South MP outlined the challenges facing her constituency if forthcoming opportunities are to be maximised by young people living across the area. She highlighted
two key elements of work that is needed in Bristol South: the role of small and medium sized enterprises – and the role of parents & carers.

A transcript of a speech made by the MP to the Dods Apprenticeships Forum Reception is included below.

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“I come from a Parliamentary constituency, Bristol South, that sends fewer young people to university than any other in the UK. So apprenticeships are particularly valuable for young people in Bristol South as they offer a chance of decent work and a better share in our city’s prosperity.

But on apprenticeships too we face a number of challenges locally – for example that 80 per cent of apprentices in south Bristol are in retail, health & social care, and business administration – which lead to lower wages than other types.

I want to focus on two elements of the work that I believe is needed in Bristol South to improve things and maximise apprenticeship opportunities: the role of small and medium sized enterprises – and the role of parents & carers. Future apprenticeships policy will only be successful in Bristol South if these groups are better engaged and involved at an early stage.

SMEs

Bristol South has hardly any large employers. 99.6% of business in Bristol South employ fewer than 250 people, 88% employ fewer than eight. So it’s clear that SMEs in my constituency are pivotal to the success of future apprenticeships – both in helping young people find out about apprenticeships, and in supporting them through their programme.

The funding system for apprenticeships for SMEs is complex and though they are willing (and many do) it is difficult for busy people running SMEs to keep up with national system changes that are introduced.

Parents

When I speak with young people on apprenticeships they are hugely positive about the experience but the route is usually through a small local business known to family members or by them just accessing websites and navigating things for themselves. I’m not going to knock those routes, but we are letting down thousands of youngsters who could benefit from greater support, as well as losing key skills our economy needs.

Careers advice in Bristol South is patchy at best. Schools want to keep hold of post-16 students and are rarely resourced to support other options than A levels.

With a plethora of options at 16 and a changing workplace as well the unknown looming impact of Brexit, parents worry about and want to support our youngsters but are rarely equipped or informed about those options. I believe we need much better communications and support to parents and will be looking to develop this locally in the next year. I’ll be interested to hear colleagues’ thoughts this evening, and as we move forward.

And I want to hear the views of young people, parents and carers living in south Bristol: those who’ve been through the system, those currently going through it, and those with youngsters who’ll soon be making decisions about their future options.

So… we are all in agreement that apprenticeships are vital…. But we need to make it easy for the youngsters to find a way into the system. Nationally lots of work has been done to help young people and parents navigate the university entry system. We need the same for apprenticeships.

As a member of the Public Accounts Committee during the last Parliament, I suggested the idea of a UCAS type system for apprenticeships. This is something the government is considering and Labour needs to keep pushing this.

What next?

We have a skills gap, and full employment in Bristol. There are major building programmes afoot in our city and just beyond – just down the M5 we have Hinckley C about to be built, for example.

Our young people need to be able to take advantage of the opportunities these and other major projects bring. I spoke earlier about wage differentials, and the differentials for construction trades are good. So I am supporting the need to bring a Construction Training Centre to Bristol South, at the site of the City of Bristol College’s South Bristol Skills Academy.

This will help train local young people in construction and engineering to enable them to take advantage of the best quality opportunities, and I look forward to helping bring this to reality in the months ahead.

Nearly 100 people dropped in to The Withywood Centre to get face-to-face help from Bristol money experts on claiming their money entitlements at the latest of MP Karin’s Smyth’s regular one-stop shop events.

The Labour MP brought together staff and volunteers from organisations including Bristol Citizens Advice, South Bristol Advice Services, Department for Work and Pensions, Royal British Legion, Bristol City Council and WE Care and Repair at the 15 September event.

Karin Smyth said: ““It’s clear that people are often unaware of what they are entitled to receive, and that changes to rules and regulations make it hard to keep on top of things.

“I’m extremely grateful to all the organisations attending this latest one-stop shop event. There was lots of really positive feedback from people who attended, who consider this is exactly the type of thing their MP should be doing – bringing residents and experts together to improve the quality of people’s lives.”

Warmer Homes Advice and Money, a partnership between WE Care and Repair, Talking Money and the Centre for Sustainable Energy also attended.

In a new article for Huffington Post the Bristol South MP says the proposal would see the fifth NHS reorganisation Bristol residents have experienced in the last 15 years. She outlines concerns relating to:

• The threat of funding being diverted away from further improvements to services at South Bristol Community Hospital, Hengrove

• Lack of transparency and democracy relating to the merger process to date

• Long standing financial problems of this cluster of CCGs are in North Somerset and South Gloucestershire – not in Bristol. “Should that really mean Bristol taxpayers have to cover the tab?” as a result of a budget merger, she asks.

People in south Bristol will have another opportunity to meet local money experts to check they are receiving all their financial entitlements when MP Karin Smyth organises the latest of her free one-stop-shop community events.

The Money Entitlement One Stop Shop event, at The Withywood Centre, Queens Road, Withywood, takes place on Friday 15 September from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm.

The Labour MP’s research has highlighted how £16 million per year in Pension Credit, and upwards of £20 million in Income Support, goes unclaimed by Bristol residents each year.

Karin Smyth said: “Too many people miss out on money that is rightly theirs, so I am again bringing together a number of Bristol’s finance experts to give practical first-hand advice and information to local people. It’s only fair that if you work hard and contribute to society, through taxes and other means, the system is then there for you when you need it.”

The charity Age UK calculates that nationally up to £3.7 billion goes unclaimed by older people each year and whilst the primary focus of the event will be older people, all will be welcome. Attending organisations will have separate tables in a market-style layout in the main hall.

“Staggering amounts are involved, and what makes this even more striking is that it’s money that people are eligible to receive,” Karin Smyth added. “If this was rightly claimed, just think what it could do to help the lives of those who are entitled to it. Think too of the positive impact on the local economy when people spend it.

“Sometimes people are not fully aware of what they should be able to receive, and when the rules and regulations change it can be really difficult to keep on top of things. When you are having a hard time with money it feels so much harder to navigate the paperwork. Similar previous events I’ve organised have highlighted the need so I’m pleased to give yet another free opportunity to people I represent.”

Karin Smyth MP is often asked about the main issues raised by her constituents in Bristol South. One of the issues which continues to be of major importance is the use of neonicotinoid insecticides and their impact on the bee population.

She has recently written to the constituents who have contacted her in the past about the issue with the following update:

The Government has so far been unclear on its position with regard to restrictions on the use of neonicotinoids on crops after the UK leaves the European Union.

Shortly before the Parliamentary summer recess, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove stated that UK government policy on neonicotinoid pesticides would “follow both existing EU protections” and be “enhanced in line with the science”.

He said that he had paid “close attention” to the large-scale scientific study published in June by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, which found evidence that neonicotinoid pesticides may indeed harm bee populations. He went on to say that the Government aims “to ensure that our bee population and our pollinators are protected”.

This is certainly a positive step in helping promote the welfare of our bee population, but we must equally all guard against complacency and I will therefore continue to support calls for the Government to introduce or maintain a full and permanent ban on neonicotinoids after Brexit.

Karin Smyth MP joined blind and partially-sighted people in Bedminster to see ground-breaking technology that promises access to Braille at a fraction of the cost of conventional means.

Bristol Braille Technology (BBT), a not-for-profit company based at Bristol Hackspace, Bedminster, has developed the world’s first multiline digital Braille eBook reader, Canute. Managing Director Ed Rodgers joined the Bristol South MP and a group of local blind and partially sighted people who demonstrated the new technology.

Ed Rodgers said: “Canute offers potential Braille users a better chance of education and employment in their life by learning and using Braille in a radically affordable way. We have been working with a community of Braille users who have been instrumental in the design process.

“We are starting a quiet evolution in Braille literacy here in Bristol and we look forward to working with our MP Karin Smyth and others, to make sure its spreads around the country and abroad.”

Karin Smyth MP said: “I was delighted to see this exciting innovation being developed and used in my constituency, and to hear from local people how much they value Canute’s potential. It promises to make Braille more accessible to people who can’t currently afford access, and I look forward to following its progress in the months ahead.”

Canute has been co-developed for five years by BBT and a group of Braille enthusiasts called the Braillists, which has a national membership of over 250 Braille readers. With this positive and useful feedback from the Braille community, Canute is expected to be in the market in late 2017/ early 2018. This link shows the current process reported by different media.

Commenting on news that plans for electrification of the mainline from Cardiff to Swansea have been dropped, Bristol South MP Karin Smyth said: “I have been asking Ministers for clarification over the delayed electrification of lines into Bristol: will it happen or not? I haven’t been given a straight answer but the ditching of electrification between Cardiff and Swansea doesn’t augur well for passengers in Bristol and the south west.”